Edwin Mellophone Hands
by Kaitlin And Kim
Summary: CHAPTER 11 NOW UP! A long time ago, a mellophone player lost his hand in a marching accident, and in place, had his mellophone welded to his wrist. Now he's back, and the bandroom is filled with screams... Finally complete!
1. The History

Ok its another story by the duo…..that is Kaitlin and Kim, this is out Halloween story, we wrote the first 3 chapters on a bus ride to the Mt Carmel Tournament, so Kim wont have a chance to put in any authors notes. SORRY KIM! Anyways the trip was great Rancho Bernardo won of course I got sick and now I have no voice whoopee……all of that had nothing to do with the story so um I'll just shut up now. Bye

*~*Kaitlin*~* 

Edwin Mellophone Hands Chapter 1: The History 

            It all started back in 1965, Edwin was one of the Drum Majors at Diamond Bar High school. The band was scheduled to perform on the 31 of October 1965, Halloween.

            In the middle of the show there was horrible marching accident, Edwin's hands were mangled, he would never play mellophone again. When Edwin heard the news he went into a state of shock, he did not eat or speak for days. Then one day he just disappeared, no one knew where he went, but everyone knew it was because of the accident. The police were notified, but after a number of years there was almost no hope left of finding him.

*~*Flash Forward 10 Years*~*

October 31,1975, exactly 10 years to the day after Edwin's accident. Edwin was still missing and most people had forgotten about that fateful day back in 1965. Some people still talked about it at the high school reunion though no one could quite remember his name.

Once again the band was performing on October 31, Halloween. Then in between the second and third movements 3 haunting notes played by a mellophone floated over the band. The director snapped his head in the direction of the horns, but they were all still in their poses and looking just as confused as the director felt.

 No one noticed the extra mellophone player.

The director decided it must have been a fluke and signaled to the band to continue on to the third movement. The show started back up and the director noticed one of the mellophone players wasn't in step he couldn't quite tell who. The mellophone player also wasn't guiding to the form, Then band came to a halt but that one mellophone player didn't stop he marched straight into another mellophone player, it was a repeat of 1965, although no one was badly injured. Later after the show the director went to find that one mellophone player but he was nowhere to be found.

From that point on the band never got any better, only worse. Soon people began to leave band and the people that stayed, especially the mellophones, never got any sleep for the minute they closed their eyes they heard a mellophone being played horribly out of tune. The band fell into a depression, they were in a slump that they couldn't get out of.

            One day when they walked into the band room there was a note taped to the wall:

If I can't be in the band

Then the band cant be any good

            -Edwin Mellophone Hands

*~*Flash Forward to 2002*~*

Now he's back again

A/n: so what'd ya think read and review bye now


	2. 76 Trombones Crashed At the Big Parade

A/N: Kim wrote this chappy but I'm typing it cuz I'm the one who has the only copy ok read now 

Ps this is exactly how kim wrote it cuz I'm not sure she would want me to change anything

Edwin Mellophone Hands Chapter 2: 76 Trombones Crashed at the Big Parade 

          The director entered his bandly domain and unlocked his office door. He flopped down with a heavy thud, and flipped through some old sheet music. "The Great Lover…" he said with intrigue. He flipped to the next page, which had a piece called "The Missing Mellophone." He read through its haunting melodies and minor chords and decided it would make a perfect addition to the last movement.

          The band shuffled into the band room and looked at the music taped to their stands, "Settle down and lets read through this real quick," the director told his disheveled class. He raised his arms and bean to conduct. The minor chords flooded the room. Then the lights began to flicker and a strange long mellophone tone entered the melody. That was odd considering all the mellophones had quit. The band stopped playing and turned and stared at the doorway where the sound had come from. The director ran out of the door just in time to view a shadowy figure turn the corner. "Hey you! Come back!" he yelled still chasing the figure. He turned a sharp corner and found…….nothing. Absolutely nothing. Then the director looked down and found a mellophone mouthpiece on the ground. He picked it up and examined it. It was cold and there was no trace  of siliva. He put it in his pocket and walked back to his students. Whoever had dropped it, was going to come back to claim it.

They had to…….

A/n sorry that was so short it looked longer on paper honest!!


	3. Edwin comes out

A/N: omg I am so freakin' sorry……I had originally written a chapter but I hated it and never got around to rewriting it…ok enough excuses, you can read the story now.

Edwin Mellophone Hands Chapter 3: Edwin comes out

            The band stared at their director expectantly but he just shrugged his shoulder and went right on with the lesson, "This piece will make the perfect addition to the third movement. I expect you to begin practicing today and have it memorized in one week's time." 

The band didn't really pay attention to what the director was saying. They didn't really care, no matter what they did they never got better. No one was going to practice; a few more notes and a couple more pages of drill weren't going to make the band any better. The bell rang and the period was over, but quickly before anyone had a chance to move the Director asked if Katrina (a/n hey what can I say Kim and I like "K" names) would stay after class as soon as she put her instrument away.

Katrina looked around wondering what she had done wrong but decided delaying it wouldn't help her. She quickly finished with her instrument and walked to the director's office. "Ah, Katrina, I just wanted to talk to you about one little thing. Seeing as how the band has no mellophones, which we really need, and you are our best saxophone player, I was wondering would you consider switching to mellophone. Reading the music would be exactly the same and I'd heard you already had some experience with a brass instrument."

Katrina sighed, she had been somewhat expecting this. She had played French horn until 8th grade when there weren't enough alto saxophones (a/n I know this never happens but humor me) "Yes, I used to play the French horn" Of course this was said a bit dejectedly, because like all the other band members she had heard rumors of what had happened to all the mellophone players in this band.

The directors eyes lit up, he could tell she would play mellophone for him, "Would you consider playing mellophone for me? Only for marching band if you like you could still play the saxophone if you really wanted to."

Once again Katrina sighed, "Yes, sir" the words were so quiet the director could barley hear them. 

"Good! There are many mellophones in the instrument storage room. They are nearly new, and in almost perfect condition. You can pick any of them." The director was very pleased, for at the end of the piece "The Missing Mellophone" there was a part, at the very end, where the mellophone returned. He was so busy thinking of how great the show would be, even though every one had doubted him seeing as how he was so new, he didn't even notice Katrina silently leaving the office.

Unbeknownst to both of them they were being watched. Hidden in the vent in the office. He had witnessed the entire conversation and the more he had heard the angrier he had gotten. One thought flickered through his mind, one that stood out from all the others. That girl must not be allowed to play mellophone. She must be stopped at all costs.

That afternoon Katrina walked home from school, she only lived a couple blocks away. Of course since she was an honor student she had stayed after school to use the library. Well actually use the Internet. She didn't exactly live in the richest part of town, her family could not afford one of the newer computers, one that didn't take 2 hours to download a single web page, and even if they could the cost would be too high. So Katrina stayed after school and did all her web surfing there. Well anyways she had to hurry home, night was coming on quickly, she did not live in the nicest of areas after all. 

She walked quickly down the sidewalk, hair blowing in the wind. "Kaaaatrinaaaa…" 

The voice came out of a dark alley she had past only moments ago. The voice had morphed her name, stretching the "a's" in a way the made her uncomfortable. Even though she had seen situations like this many times on television, she turned around and called back, "Who are you? What do you want? How do you know my name?" questions fired rapidly one after the other.

"Kaaaatrinaaaa…….cooooome clooooser….IIII wiiill teeell youuuu." The vowels were all stretched long as if the person had not spoken aloud in years. Against her better judgment Katrina took a few steps towards the alley, hugging her binder tightly to her chest as if it could protect her from danger. 

Without warning a hand grabbed her wrist pulling her into the alley. She was shoved roughly against the wall. A small gasp escaped her. She looked up but could see nothing of her attackers face, he was wearing a mask. She looked down at her wrist where the hand squeezed tighter; they hand was horribly mangled, it looked nothing like a human hand, more like a mellophone though it was hard to tell in the light of the alley. She barely stifled a scream of horror. "W-w-w-who are you?" 

Slowly her attacker removed his mask and said "I am Edwin Mellophone hands."

Something hard hit Katrina in the back of her head as the world turned black she heard cold laughter, it seemed to fill her, and then it was gone.

A/n kind of a typical ending but hey I got another chapter out. review ok?


	4. Nothing At All

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EDWIN MELLOPHONE HANDS

Chapter 4: Nothing at all (By Kim)

Police cars roamed the streets of the town, which aroused suspicion in the minds of the students. Why were there candles, plush toys, cards, and flowers placed outside the cold iron gates of the school? The news was yet to make its way from the lips of the teachers and into the very hearts of the students, specifically the band. 

The director stood in front of the band, he wore a dire expression and an expensive black suit. The band was chattering amongst themselves as they waited for the morning plans from their director, but little did they know what he was about to say. 

He stood upon the podium and drew in several deep breaths. "May I, I have your attention please…" he managed to croak in a barely audible whisper. Everyone looked up, and at that moment, everything grew still. Pangs of panic hit each of the students, and their stomachs tied in knots. Their director was never that grave looking, and his voice had never cracked when we asked them to be quiet. Something bad had happened. It was an intuition. 

"Last night, Katrina Kramer was walking home from school, and she was murdered." His words, those words were like knifes that hit each and every one of the students. There were a few gasps, and the students began to tremble. "She was found in an alley, with a broken glass bottle protruding from her back…" he lost it. He completely lost it. He broke down into convulsions; tears flowed from his eyes. And as he did, the students did too. He finally regained his composure, and began to speak again. "Her mellophone was at her side, destroyed, and from the marks on her body, she had been beaten… Death takes the very best of us." Now everyone was shaking, crying, sobbing… especially Rudy, the quiet tenor saxophone section leader who stood at only four feet, nine inches, and had a will of steel. The steel had been melted, and out poured from his eyes in the form of salty tears.

That day… was to be the most remembered of all days.

Band was no longer the loud and bustling party it used to be. It had been weeks and the shock still hadn't worn off. Rudy was especially quiet. He normally would kick anyone's ass if they dared to call him short, but now they took advantage and teased and mocked him all they wanted. The steel in his will was gone.

Rudy went into the instrument storage room at lunch everyday and would shut himself in one of the miniature compartments. He would sit there and stare through the vents like he used to do when he would pop out and surprise Katrina. She wasn't going to be there to be surprised anymore. "I guess you got me back for all of the times I've surprised you." He muttered under his breath. Tears stinged his eyes.

All of the sudden he heard the storage room door open, and someone's loud and heavy footsteps pursued. He kept thinking that it has to be Mr. Spills, the director, because he always wore heavy boots, and indeed it was. Mr. Spills opened the cabinet and looked into Rudy's red, stinging eyes. 

"Nothing will bring her back Rudy. We have to move on, the Christmas parade is coming up, and there is no time for any weakness. Now come on, come on out." He offered his hand to the small senior. Rudy shook his head. "I'll let you file the concert band music." Mr. Spills said persuasively. Rudy hesitantly took his director's outstretched hand and crawled out of his hiding space. "Mr. Spills?" he asked. "Yes?" "I was wondering, would it be alright if I… switched to mellophone?" Rudy looked at the ground. "Of course it would." He said. "Take your pick." And Mr. Spills showed him the large array of mellophones. 

The door opened, and both turned their heads towards it, but no one was there. "Must've been the wind." Rudy shrugged, then it slammed shut, the lights went out, and there was a deafening bang.


	5. When All The Tears Have Fallen

*~*Kaitlin*~*

Edwin Mellophone Hands

Chapter 5:When all the tears have fallen

            Mr. Spills awoke three days later. He and Rudy had been found on the floor of the instrument storage room; Mr. Spills had been lucky he had only suffered a concussion. Rudy on the other hand had been found dead. His neck had been snapped. No one had told Mr. Spills, none of the students wanted to. They hadn't told him that all the mellophones had been destroyed, or that a message had been written with Rudy's blood.

Death will come to all who dare touch my mellophones 

*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*

Mr. Spills was back at school, teaching once again. Only the band noticed but something was gone from the man, his excitement about the music, his entire love of music had been sucked out of him. The band wasn't even really a band anymore, the people who loved music tried to play, and the people who were in band for the easy "A" could get away with anything short of murder. Mr. Spills never even came out of his office any more, he sat in there, all his tears gone, he was past tears, there was no way to express his grief: no way short of death.

            Rachel the drum major knew someone needed to take control of the band and that certainly wouldn't be Mr. Spills, "Listen up! Its time we stopped acting stupid and started acting like the band we used to be!" all this was yelled out in the most commanding drum major voice she could muster.

            The band had fallen silent, Rachel continued to speak, "You will all shape up or ship out now get your instruments, music and be in the practice area in 5 minutes." The band was silent for a few moments, followed by a mad scramble for the instrument storage room. Rachel may not be the director but she wasn't the drum major for nothing.

            For the next few weeks the band went back to its regular practice schedule, it did not improve much though Rachel was an expert conductor and critic, it was always in the back of the students minds that Rachel was **not** the conductor. Rachel hoped that going back to the normal schedule would wake Mr. Spills but nothing worked, all he did was sit at his desk staring at the wall, reliving the attack on himself and Rudy. 

            Over the next few weeks Mr. Spills seemed to get worse, sinking more into himself, not even going home, getting little or no sleep, hardly eating. By this time the entire band had grown concerned. 

            Rachel thought maybe if she got a new mellophone for the band and played the part Mr. Spills would come out of his depression.

            Rachel drove to ABI, Anaheim Band Instruments, to get the new mellophone. When she got in she immediately headed to the trumpet section out of habit before remembering the reason she had come to the store. She found a store clerk and asked them about the mellophones for sale. She bought it for around $1,000. A beautiful silver marching mellophone.

            When she brought it back to the school Mr. Spills completely ignored her when she tried to tell him what she had done. It wasn't too hard to switch from trumpet to mellophone, other than the smaller mouthpiece and a few new fingerings. When the band had sufficiently improved Rachel managed to get Mr. Spills to come listen to the band.

             When Rachel came in with the mellophone solo Mr. Spills' face lit up like a child at Christmas. He came back to himself. 

            For the next few weeks Mr. Spills went back to normal, he was vibrant, happy, but he had his dark moments. Rachel played the mellophone beautifully, the band continued to rehearse "The Missing Mellophone" That day Rachel played the entire solo.

            At 5:00 the after school practice was finally over. The band was hot and tired, ever since his "recovery" Mr. Spills worked the band twice as hard, as if making the band good would make up for the deaths of 2 of his best students. Rachel went up to the band room to put away her mellophone, she treated it better than her trumpet, making sure all the slides and valves were in perfect condition, never a scratch or fingerprint on the bell. She put her case in the storage room and walked out to her car, softly humming her solo in the missing mellophone.

            As she drove home she was a bit preoccupied, thinking about school, band, her boyfriend, and her job. She did not notice the man with strange looking hands step in front of her car until it was too late. She swerved sharply, slamming into the car on her left. The last thing she heard was the sound of her voice screaming mixed with maniac laughter.

*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*

The next morning Mr. Spills was found dead in his office of an apparent suicide.


	6. Tastes so bitter

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EDWIN MELLOPHONE HANDS

CHAPTER 6: TASTES SO BITTER (BY KIM)

__

I have problem that I cannot explain

I have no reason why it should've been so plain

I have no answers but I sure have excuse

I lack the reason why I should be so confused…

~*~ Roulette, System of A Down

Only half of the band came to school the next day. Only half of the members had the strength and courage left inside to make their appearance in the hall again. They sat in their chairs, not speaking a word. Their instruments lay dormant in their room, in which a murder had taken place. The crimson inked message had still not been washed off, and there were still a few finger bones scattered around, hidden by the squishy thing. (AN: The Squishy thing is a big piece of gray foam that lives on the floor of the instrument storage room)

Before the events there had been one inseparable group of kids: Rachel, Rudy, Katrina, and Sam. Sam was the boyfriend Rachel was thinking of before she swerved off the road. Sam sat in the corner and shook violently. He hugged his knees and rocked back and forth. Voices of those loved by him flooded his memory. Oh how he wished they didn't…

"Just one more run through!"…

"I'm saxy, I'm short, I'm the Rudy!"…

"BAND ATTEN HUT! * Hiccup *"…

"I'm the saxtion leader, the fearless, the lovely, Katrina!"

"Sam. Uh I was just wondering, want to take me to winter formal?"

The voices… the memories… where was he? Who was he? What… what was he? He threw his head back and screamed.

Everyone stared at him and shook their heads. He was curled up on the floor, shivering, shaking, and crying. Brandon the marimba player ran to restrain him. But it was too late, Sam was mentally away somewhere… Somewhere deep within his own, twisted nightmares.

The door creaked open, and a tall, buff man walked into the room and examined the condition of the students. His attention turned to Sam and Brandon. He licked his lips and marched towards them. "Help!" Brandon cried, He held the struggling, sobbing boy down. The man pulled Brandon off of Sam forcefully and began to scream "YOU STOP CRYING YOU PUSSY!" Brandon was shocked. "EVERYONE, STAND AT ATTENTION!" he commanded. Everyone did as they were told everyone but Sam. "What are you doing boy?" he asked. He pulled Sam up by his lankly arm and looked into his eyes. Sam's eyes were glazed over, he trembled and sobbed. "Stop it! STOP IT NOW!" the man began to shake him, and when that didn't work, he punched him. Everyone gasped. "Leave him alone! Can't you see he's having an anxiety attack! Stop it!" Lorelei screamed. The man threw Sam onto the floor and turned to Lorelei. "What did you say girl?" he snarled. "I said, leave him alone." She said, almost choking in fear. "You're lucky I don't hurt girls." He said so quietly that only she could here him. He got up onto the podium and looked into the faces of the students. "I am your new director, Colonel Boom, but you will all call me, 'sir'" he said. "Your principal hired me because he felt I would scare away any attacker." He said with such egoism. Everyone's heart sank. Sam was passed out in the corner. Everyone wanted to run and defend him; everyone wanted to hug each other…

"You know why all of your people are being killed so suddenly? Its because you are all a bunch of pussies who can't defend yourselves." He said. "Mr. Spills must've been a horrible director. He couldn't even protect you from murder. I can't do much now because the season is over, however I will make sure to make concert band as hard and as disciplined as marching." No one liked the sound of this. "Mr. Spills would do the least possible. He didn't care about you at all, if he did, he wouldn't have killed himself." 

Everyone tried not to move, to break down, tackle Boom and prove him wrong. And in the distance, a man with horribly mangled fingers watched the students, and smiled. His revenge was complete… Or was it?


	7. To Be a Leader

A/N sorry for taking so long…enjoy

Edwin Mellophone Hands

Chapter 7: To Be a Leader

_Come as you are, as you were  
As I want you to be  
As a friend, as a friend  
As an old enemy  
Take your time  
Hurry up  
The choice is yours  
Don't be late  
Take a rest   
As a friend  
As an old..._

_*~* Come As You Are, Nirvana_

            Lorelei walked into her bedroom and almost threw her trombone into its corner before flopping onto the bed.  She had just gotten back from one of the bands new evening practices, where Sam, her section leader, had once again sat on the sidelines stuck inside his head. Sam made her mad sometimes; she wanted to scream at him 'GET OVER IT!' but she knew it wouldn't help, nothing could help him until he got over it which wouldn't be any time soon. The field show wasn't getting any better and the pieces that the band was supposed to play hadn't gotten any better. They sounded wrong with out the mellophone.

            The next day when Lorelei walked into class the trombone section was all grouped together talking about something. This was unusual not only because the trombone section could not talk with out yelling, fighting or making a rude comment, but normally in the morning they were dispersed through the rest of the band teasing the freshmen, or putting some plot of theirs into action. It sometimes made Lorelei ashamed, but more often than not she joined in. 

            She walked over to her section, which was gathered around Sam who was holding something she couldn't see because Mark was in the way. She deftly pushed mark to one side, I mean after all she'd had years of practice, and when she saw what Sam was holding she gasped. It was Rachel's silver marching mellophone; Sam was too busy talking to notice that Lorelei had joined the group. "…sorry but I had to, Rachel meant so much to me, I just want to feel close to something she loved. I miss her and if this horn is cursed then at least I can join her" It was at this point the section all burst out talking. Sam managed to quiet them after a minute or two by threatening them with push-ups if they didn't shut up. "I have already chosen next section leader. They are the most qualified player and the one person in this section you are most likely to listen to not only because of who she is but because she can be a bit rough when she has to," the moment Sam said she Lorelei felt her face turn bright red as the entire section turned to stare at her. "Lorelei will you be the next section leader for the trombones?" Sam asked quietly, Lorelei pretended to think for a moment and then she flung her arms around Sam's neck and whispered "thank you so much," in his ear. Sam grinned and went off to tell Colonel Boom about the change in the ranks.

            That night at the evening practice Lorelei was having her section warm up. She was smiling and laughing with the trombone guys like she always did when suddenly she looked up. Colonel Boom was towering over her 5'2 frame. "What is the meaning of having a girl for a section leader?" none of the trombones dared to reply, the way he had sneered out the word girl had shut them all up. "Girls are too pathetic to get you men to do anything, why would you accept her as one of you let alone your leader?" At this Lorelei got mad, and her section got mad and Colonel Boom was startled. Lorelei stalked up to the director with the rest of her section behind glaring at him menacingly. She raised herself up and poked a finger into his chest saying, "Listen to me buddy, I don't care who you are, no one insults me, girls, and especially not **my **section that way. I am a good section leader and just because you are a sexist pig doesn't give you the right to insult us like that." And with those words she stalked off with her section trailing behind.

            Sam drove up to the school late. His younger sister had held him up; she had begged him to help her with her homework. He knew he had to hurry up, Colonel Boom never tolerated any lateness. The last guy that had been late ended up not only staying after to have a talk with Colonel Boom, thus becoming the last person in the storage, where he ended up getting 'accidentally' locked by Colonel Boom in the storage room for the rest of the night. Of course the Principle Withers believed him and no actions were taken against him. Sam popped the trunk only to find that he had left the mellophone at home. "DAMN IT!!!" he shouted, it would almost be better to not show up then to come with out your instrument. Sam decided against going back home for it and ran into the empty storage room, he searched in vain for a mellophone, taking every case out of its locker when he got to the locker his mellophone was normally in he passed over it, barely glancing at it. Then his eyes shot back towards the locker, there was something odd about the back wall, like it could be moved. Sam walked towards it cautiously, never letting his eyes leave the locker in case it could magically revert back. He half crawled into his locker and begin running his hands over the wall and tapping on it. After a few minutes he gave up, there was nothing different about this wall than any of the other walls. Sam sighed and rested his head on the wall. But the wall moved, its slid away revealing dust, Sam backed away instinctively. The black hole in the wall seemed to stare at him, the darkness was alluring, almost seductive, it seemed to call at him and before he knew what he was doing Sam had crawled into the hole.

            The floor was covered in dust and old mellophone parts. His footsteps crunched as he walked along the narrow hallway, Sam began to wish for a flashlight because even though there was some light it was not nearly enough. Sam turned the first corner he came to, and that was when he heard the footsteps start. Sam tried to walk as quickly and silently as he could, he was about to reach a fork in the path one side was lit ever so slightly. Sam could hear the footsteps quickening and he began to get scared, he stood at the fork and as he saw a shadow round the corner he dove into the darkness.


	8. The Shadow is Cast

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EDWIN MELLOPHONE HANDS

CHAPTER 8: THE SHADOW IS CAST 

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, the local authorities were finally investigating the murders and the disappearance of Sam. The lead detective on the case was Lt. Holst, or Jupiter as he was normally called. He was a Fake City High School alumnus, and ex French Horn player. The day the case was announced he was astonished. Charlie Spills, the band director who had killed himself had been a freshman in his section that one night, October 31, 1965. In fact, he could remember exactly what happened…

The show had been going without flaw, until the eight count cigar box rotation where everyone shifted over about two yards. It was the most difficult part in the show, and everyone nailed it, well except for Charlie Spills, the only freshman mellophone. He could never take large enough steps. Edwin, a sophomore stood to his left during the drill, and then when they executed the move, disaster struck. Charlie tripped Edwin, who tripped the rest of the section in a sort of domino effect. The block of battery percussion did not notice them… Until it was too late.

Jupiter shook his head of that awful memory and turned the knob of the band room door, glancing at his three stumps on his hand which had previously been fingers. That accident caused his hand to be crushed within the tubing of the mellophone. He entered the room and felt a sensation of longing. The music theory students all turned to look at their visitor. "Colonel Boom, Lt. Jupiter Holst of the FCPD here to investigate instrument storage room." He flashed his badge and search warrant. The colonel grew bright red. "Holst… Come have a little chat with me in my office…" he said with great discontent. The lieutenant followed and gave a nervous glance at the students, who had the same expression on their faces, and went back to their bookwork. 

Lorelei looked around and set her book and pen down. Being the rebellious tromboner she was, she ventured into the instrument storage room to investigate. Her classmates didn't even notice her missing. They were all too frightened to let their eyes stray from their assigned text. She looked around and her womanly intuition spoke to her. _Go to the light_. She looked at Sam's locker. She always thought of Sam as he little ray of sunshine… the back of the locker was missing, and the void that followed called to her… and in she went.

The tunnel opened wider as she crawled through it and it soon opened wide enough for her to stand up in. The tunnel smelled like tarnished brass and spit, such a lovely combination. She put her hands to the wall to guide her through the thick and heavy darkness, but pulled them away in disgust. The walls had been coated with something slimy. She smelled her hand to see what it was. "Trombotine…" she mumbled, and placed her hands on the wall again. 

After about five minutes of walking she saw a dim light which showed the outline of a wooden door. She figured she had to be about half a mile below school grounds. She reached for the door and opened it slowly, peeking one eye through the crack to make sure the coast was clear. It was, and she entered the chamber… and held back a scream.

Sam was tied to the wall with some duct tape, unconscious and bleeding from his slit lip. His wrist had been marked with a broken line in red; the purpose was unknown at that moment, until Lorelei looked behind her. On the wall was a shelf with jars filled with valve oil and… hands… four jars, each unlabeled. She put her hand to her mouth in disbelief and examined one of them. It had Rudy's class ring, and the other hand had French tipped nails, Katrina's signature nail color. And one hand… still had the baton in it. The shelf had a label on it with blood red German words. Seeing as how Lorelei was German and knew German she read it… _Mein Kampf…_in English… my struggle. She turned back to Sam and saw a knife and gauze tape on the desk beside him. She knew she had to get out as quickly as possible. There were bad vibes ringing around the room at every corner. Lorelei yanked the tape that bound Sam to the wall, which made him whimper in his comatose state. She then picked him up and ran as fast as she could through the tunnel, back to safety, and in the background she heard a scream of frustration and a clattering as a desk was thrown to the floor. Then the footprints sounded.

Lorelei began running faster but stopped. The tunnel had narrowed down to crawling size. There was no way she could fit herself and Sam through it, however through the square opening she saw the light of the instrument storage room. She was beginning to panic seeing as how she was claustrophobic and her attacker was coming up behind her quickly. Suddenly, a hand poked into the tunnel opening and the voice of God cried out, "GIVE ME THE BOY!" Lorelei gave Sam's body to the outstretched arm and made her way out of the tunnel, where she heard _Also Sprach Zarathrusta_ being to play as she saw the light of the instrument storage room.

God wasn't really God at all. It was the detective who had interrupted Lorelei's music theory class. He was checking Sam's pulse and nodded at Lorelei. "He'll be okay. He's just a bit shocked." Suddenly a loud screech came from the tunnel. "Don't worry," Lt. Holst said, "He won't come out with me here."

"Why is that?" Lorelei asked. "It's a long story young lady. Now the frosh band is practicing their music for the school play, 2001: A Space Odyssey. I'll have enough time to tell you." He handed Sam to Lorelei who sat down on a mellophone case. "Years and years ago in 1965, We were performing for the halftime show. There was one sophomore in my section named Edwin. He was a mellophone player as I was, and your previous director, Mr. Spills, a freshman, was also in our section. Yes, well during the show we had a box rotation and Spills screwed it up. He tripped Edwin, and soon the entire section fell. Even me," he showed his hand with the amputated fingers. "Well, the result of the accident was disastrous. Edwin and I ended up going to the same emergency room. They were able to pry my mellophone from my fingers after cutting two of he off, however… Edwin's hand was crushed so badly, it was if the mellophone was welded to the bones." He ended his story leaving Lorelei completely bewildered. "You knew Mr. Spills? He caused the accident? Because of him three people have been killed?' she asked. "Yes, it's all true. Edwin was afraid of me because I was the mean upperclassman. He was dead afraid of me, seeing as how I was his section leader." Suddenly Sam began to stir in his sleep, and he woke up looking into Lorelei's eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, and closes his eyes. "He sleeps in the shadow, lives in the shadow, he is the shadow in which every object casts. He sees you through his two eyes, and controls you with a single hand…" then he slowly went back to his coma. Lorelei looked up panicked at Lt. Holst who shook his head.

"Then we must defeat this shadow…"


	9. To See Again

*~*Kaitlin*~*

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee chappy nine…

** Chapter 9: To See Again**

_You see my pain is real,_

_Watch my world dissolve,_

_And pretend that none of us see the fall,_

_As I turned to sand,_

_You took me by the hand_

_And declared that love prevails over all._

_*~*Ego Brain, System of a Down_

Lorelei sat besides Sam's bed in the hospital; she had been coming for around a week now. Every day she told him what had happened at school and talked to him about meaningless things that made her feel better, but mostly she came to sit next to his bed holding one of his hands and staring out the window, wishing to be anywhere else. Somewhere where all of this hadn't happened.

        "…and then Colonel Boom yelled at me again for not keeping my section in line. Like it was my fault. I mean, Jason and Mark couldn't help it if they didn't see the flute girl; um her name was tiffany. Anyways so Colonel Boom got mad at me and made me run laps. And its only because I'm the only female section leader. He even changed the _flute_ section leader to a guy. I wish that…" Lorelei trailed off, staring out the window.

          Two birds were flying together, straw in their beaks to make a nest. They looped off through the sky and out of sight. Lorelei continued to stare long after they had gone. Slowly she turned back to same, absent-mindedly stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. As she got up to leave she gave his hand a quick squeeze and gasped when his hand squeezed back.

          Lorelei turned her head to see Sam smiling weakly at her. All she could do was stare, then her wits returned and Lorelei realized Sam would need a doctor. "I'm um…going to get a… get a… um…a doctor Sam ok? Right" and with that Lorelei rushed out of the room leaving Sam grinning after her.

*~*Two Weeks Later*~*

Sam was back at school, he was still a bit weak and had dizzy spells some times but he was feeling better. Some how he had coerced Lorelei into helping him around meaning that when he got a dizzy spell he got to have her help him, meaning _her_ arm was around _his _waist. He wasn't sure exactly when it had happened but he stopped seeing Lorelei as the odd little 8th grader with pigtails and braces. It seemed as soon as he turned around one day she had grown. Long brown hair reaching her waist, pretty hazel eyes, and a nice body, this all added up to the new Lorelei he saw.

          Lorelei was helping Sam to his next class, which happened to be miles from hers, but she didn't care. She had had a crush on Sam for a while and now it seemed like something was happening between them. She remembered when she had been a freshman Sam was only a sophomore. He was hot then too, but in a more dorky way. Sam had grown up. While she was helping him to his classes she had realized how tall he was, and his muscles. He didn't have bulging muscles like the football team; he was more the slim type, enough muscles to be sexy with out going overboard. His hair was blonde and he never spiked it, his eyes were blue, the kind of blue that seems light until you look again and even then you aren't sure of its true colors. She watched Sam slip into his seat, before running to her next class: geometry, the one class she had a D+ in. 

          Lorelei sat through geometry, waiting for those last few minutes of geometry to end so she could help Sam to third period, wind ensemble. The made their way there quick enough so as not to be late but slow enough to not have to deal with Colonel Boom for too long.

          Lorelei went into the storage room only to find another one of her sections jokes had happened and once again she was the butt. Her trombone was up on the top shelf, which happened to be awfully close to the ceiling. "Dammit" Lorelei stretched as high as she could, she was able to touch the end of her case but not able to grab it. "Dammit dammit dammit!" Lorelei tried again to reach her case.

          "Need a bit of help Lorelei?" Sam said in a teasing voice. "Now why would some one put their case where they cant reach it?" Sam walked over to Lorelei and looked down at her.

          "Shut up and help me Sam." Sam gave her a look and Lorelei grinned. "Please?" Sam reached up to grab the case, reaching it easily. He smiled down at Lorelei as he pulled her case out. Slowly he brought his face towards hers. Lorelei tilted her head up to meet him. Their lips were about to touch when…SLAM!

          Sam's head snapped up. He looked at the door "Shit, we forgot that Boom always shuts and locks the door once the late bell rings."

          "Well um…what should we do?" Lorelei asked.

          "I guess wait it out."

          They slid down to the floor sitting on the music that lived in the band room floor. Most of it was trombone music. "Hey. Look! It's the squishy thing, how funny I remember that from my freshman year. 'It lives on the storage room floor eating mouthpieces, trombone slide grease, and old music parts." Lorelei giggled.

          "I forgot about that thing. Some one really ought to get rid of it, its all old and nasty."

          "I wanna see what its eating first." Lorelei stood up and walked over to the squishy thing. She lifted it up and gasped. "Sam come and see this."

          " What is it?" He walked over to Lorelei and made a disgusted face. "they really ought to clean this room more often, that's just sick." The squishy thing had been eating one of Rudy's fingers.

          Small clanking noises began to fill the room. They echoed off the tiled floor and all the shelves. Sam remembered the hole in his locker, Lorelei what happened to that hole in my storage locker?"

          "I don't think anyone ever closed it why?"

          "Because that's where the noises are coming from."

  
  



	10. Knight in Bandly Armor

**Edwin Mellophone Hands**

**Chapter 10: Knight in Bandly Armor**

**(By: Kim) **

        Suddenly the clanking noises grew to a high pitched screech in E flat. Footsteps became more audible, and with each step, the monster below let out his cry. "GAKGAKGAKGAKGAKGAKGAKGAKGAKGAKGAKGAKGAK!" Lorelei held onto Sam's arm, and they both took cautious steps towards the locker. Sam shook his head. "We've got to tell someone about his monster… someone who can believe us." Both remained silent and listened to the clanking coming from the void. "Only me, you, and LT. Holst know about it him." Lorelei said. "I know about him too." A saddened voice cried out. "I know him…" it said… "…Because I am him."

        Then out of the blue, the shadows in the storage room began to sway, and the shelves, once linear became curved. Sam held Lorelei close and protectively as the shadows danced and the screeches were replaced with a sad sounding melody. The melody of _The Missing Mellophone_. Suddenly within the tune, the mellophone solo came in. "No!" Sam gasped. "Someone's playing the mellophone!" 

        Suddenly the music stopped and everything became normal again. "That was weird." Lorelei said as she examined the straight shelves. "I'll show you something weirder." Sam picked up a piece of music off the ground and showed it to her. 

**THE MISSING MELLOPHONE  
BY EDWIN OPHONEMELL **

        Suddenly, the shelves began to become curved again and the song filled the air. "No, not again!" the two band members cried as they backed away from the hole. Suddenly, LT. Holst kicked the door open, playing the mellophone solo. He then stopped playing and cried "EDWIN! IF YOU WANT THIS SOLO COME AND GET IT!" he resumed playing, this time even louder. LT. Holst stopped playing and turned to the two frightened band nerds. "I'm going in; I'm going to stop him once and for all. You two stay put!" He lowered his torso and peeked into the hole. "But sir, I thought we were in this together!" Sam said, taking a step towards the locker with Lorelei grasping his left arm even tighter. "Sam, you were once abducted by Edwin. Edwin is one of those people who will never stop until they get what they want. Lorelei took you, his prisoner away. Nothing would make him happier than to have you back down there. Lorelei too, I'm pretty sure he'd fancy having her hand in a jar. Now you just stay here please." And without a further word his disappeared into the darkness. 

        Sam slumped down disappointedly onto the squishy thing. "I'm worried about him Lore, really. Edwin, he struck me so quickly! All I can remember was just walking along the edge of the wall when BAM! Something slammed me against the wall. I could feel him breathing. He was inches from my face yet I couldn't see him! Then, I just blacked out I guess. Next thing I know, I'm in the hospital with you." Lorelei thought for a moment before she spoke. "You mean, you don't remember when you woke up in the storage room for like, one minute?" she asked. He gave her a quizzical look and shook his head. "No. I just woke up in the hospital and saw your face… you squeezed my hand, and then, I just got the happiest feeling in the world…" Lorelei sat transfixed, sort of dazzled. Sam stood up and faced her, holding both of her hand tightly. "Lorelei, I…" but Lorelei didn't need words to tell her just what he was about to say. She saw it in his eyes. She saw it right before they almost kissed. "I must tell you that I'm going to regret what I'm about to do." His smile suddenly turned into a twisted smirk. "Hello you troublesome, meddling girl! It is me, Edwin. I'm controlling little Sammy here." Sam shoved Lorelei against the shelves and grasped her shoulders. Lorelei was too shocked to speak. "What's wrong? You don't want to give little Sammy Wammy a little kissy wissy?" he mocked. "What? Damn that meddling Holst!" Sam's head turned and looked over at the locker. "I'll deal with you later!" he forcefully hit Lorelei and shoved her to the ground as he took off and dove into the hole in the locker. 

        Lorelei knew she couldn't go into the hole alone. The danger was far to great. She didn't have any weapons either! She glanced around the storage room and got her brilliant idea. She slipped on a snare drum harness and took the military baton from the baton shelf. She then put on her battle helmet, and plume-less shako. Then like a knight in shining bandly armor, she crept into the darkness, 


	11. Lost and Found

We had to up the rating cuz of the rape scene in this chapter so ya…

*~*Kaitlin*~*

Edwin Mellophone Hands

**Chapter 11: Lost and Found**

         Her head still reeling from the blow, Lorelei climbed down into the darkness. The walls were still slimy and covered in trombotine. She crawled along the tunnel before standing up after around 5 feet or so. 'Funny it seemed like I had to crawl much farther last time' thought Lorelei.

         A yell came from down the tunnel causing Lorelei's eyes to fill with tears. It had been Sam's voice and even though she knew Edwin had possessed him, it still hurt to hear him yell like that. Lorelei sped up; she had to get to Sam, to make Edwin show himself.

         Lorelei reached the fork in the path, when she had needed to save Sam she had gone into the dark, now her womanly intuition told her that Sam was once again in the dark, but to rid him of Edwin she needed Edwin's body and that must be towards the light. Edwin wouldn't risk damaging his already damaged body.

         She walked along, this part of the path was unfamiliar to her,  and she was afraid of what was hidden at the end of the hall. The light grew slightly brighter, now instead of just seeing the dust that floated through the air; she saw the dried trombotine on the walls, and the mellophone parts the almost covered the floor. All of the parts had the same name for the composer, Edwin Ophonemell. Suppressing a shudder at this Lorelei continued. At the end of the Hall there was a door, and this had to be where Edwin was.

*~*

Edwin grinned. He knew where Lorelei was. She was after his body. Lt Holst was staring at him, he knew that Sam was being possessed and didn't want to hurt Sam but Edwin was using that against him. 'Ha that stupid old man, he thinks he can fight me when I am using a body that is so much younger than his? He wont even hurt this boy to save himself' Edwin laughed; his fist swung and caught Holst in the jaw. 

"Damn you Edwin!" Holst got up from where he had been knocked by the blow. Something was trickling down his chin he reached to wipe it away and his hand came back bloody. Holst had to do something fast 'I cant hurt the boy but I've got to stop Edwin' then all went black.

"Holst once you scared me but now you are too afraid to hurt people." After saying this Edwin let out a maniacal giggle. "But look at you now! Big senior Holst knocked unconscious by me, little old Edwin the puny sophmore!" 

A scream came loud from down the hallway. Sam's body slumped to the floor. All was quiet.

*~*

Lorelei reached for the doorknob, her hand shaking. She gripped the handle and turned, puling the door open. Then she screamed. Before her was the body of Edwin Ophonemell. It wasn't like anything she'd imagined. His face and head were normal enough; except the skin was stretched so tight over the face it looked like a skull. He was wearing a shirt, but underneath it was all lumpy, like things were sticking out of his chest. His hands…those were the worst; they weren't hands at all. His left hand was the bell of a mellophone, the metal transitioned smoothly at the wrist from metal to skin. His right hand was 3 valves, with the valve slides still attached. 

"Yes, its rather horrifying to look at isn't it?" Lorelei gasped, he was awake? His black eyes glittered with hate. "A few people who actually saw me after the 'accident' were horrified too. Behind my back they called me names, Edwin Mellophone hands was a favorite, as I seem to recall." Lorelei hated the way he stared, it was worse than the way some men stare, the kind that undress you with their eyes. His stare was so full of hatred; he despised anyone who could still play an instrument. Slowly Edwin stood up, it didn't look easy, but then again Edwin had had years of practice.

He walked towards Lorelei, Lorelei wanted to run, but the gaze of Edwin held her in place. "Life isn't easy when you have no hands, but I've learned to cope." Edwin walked around behind Lorelei. He stopped just behind her, and leaned over and whispered in her ear "But you my dear can help me cope…" His tongue darted out and licked the shell of her ear. Lorelei shivered, "Don't you dare touch me Edwin! Sam will be here any minute now that you've left him!" 

"Oooh, hoping for help from your big strong man? I wonder how he'll managed to get out of a locked room while he's unconscious…" Edwin managed to spin Lorelei around; his mouth met hers, roughly. His kiss was bruising, causing Lorelei to cry out in pain. Edwin took this opportunity and slid his tongue into her mouth. Lorelei tried to fight back, but Edwin seemed oblivious to anything and everything. Lorelei then went limp, giving up. 

Edwin shoved her to the ground once again. This time though, it was really Edwin not Edwin in Sam's body, and his eyes were no longer filled with hatred, only lust. Edwin held her down with the valve 'hand' and with the bell managed to pop the buttons off her shirt exposing her flesh. Tears began to roll down Lorelei's cheeks; it wasn't supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be some one she loved! A hot anger began to grow inside of Lorelei as Edwin explored her body. "STOP IT YOU ASSHOLE!!!" Lorelei screamed and rammed her knee into his crotch. Edwin gasped in pain, and rolled off of her. 

Lorelei got up and ran for her life. She ran out of the room and down the hallway. She heard Edwin scream and the door slam open. She could hear him coming. "YOU LITTLE BITCH! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME?!" Finally Lorelei came to the room where Sam _had_ to be! She threw open the door, and slammed it shut again. Sam was laying on the floor, unconscious just as Edwin had said.

Lorelei ran over to Sam and began to shake him, "Sam come on, you have to wake up! He's coming to get me, and then he'll rape me and then kill me! Sam! Please wake up! SAM!" the door opened and Edwin whirled into the room. 

"You little bitch, after I have my way with you I'm going to kill you!" Lorelei backed into a corner and curled up into a ball. Tears began to flow down her cheeks, pure terror in her eyes. Edwin slowly walked towards her, pleased to see her terror growing. 'Now that bitch will get what she deserves!' Just as Edwin reached out the valve hand to her, Lorelei let out a scream to wake the dead. It was a sound that was pure terror; it was horrifying. Anger clouded Edwin's eyes, "Shut up!!" He hit her hard across her temple, and Lorelei sat there dazed, eyes unfocused.

Sam's eyes snapped open. 'Lorelei!' he looked over and saw Edwin hit her. Rage filled Sam; he had _hit _Lorelei. Sam stood quietly, and made his way to where Edwin was kneeling over Lorelei. Roughly Sam grabbed Edwin and slammed him into the wall, "You bastard! Don't you dare touch her!" Sam hit Edwin hard, blood flowed freely from Edwin's nose. 

In spite of the pain, Edwin grinned, "Hello lover boy! Come to save your little whore?" Sam hit him again, Edwin grunted. Now he was starting to get really mad. He shoved Sam off of him and into the shelves of hands. Sam tried to get stable, but he hit the jar with Rachel's hand in it. The jar fell to the floor and broke into millions of tiny pieces. The baton that had been in Rachel's hand rolled across the floor to where Lorelei sat, still in a daze.

With out wasting any time, Edwin strode over to Sam and pulled him to his feet before hitting him. Sam cried out in pain, and Edwin continued to punch Sam. Lorelei heard Sam and tried to focus. Her head hurt terribly and her eyes were having trouble focusing. Lorelei tried to stand, she had to help Sam. Standing proved to make her head hurt worse, but she had to. Lorelei took a step, and almost fell. She had stepped on the baton, Rachel's baton. For a moment she stared confused as to what it was, then Lorelei bent down to pick up the baton that was wrapped in purple and gold cords. Using the Baton as a crutch, Lorelei made her way over to Edwin, who was beating Sam senseless. 

'Sam…' the only thought in Lorelei's head, 'Sam…' it repeated itself over and over. Sam was in pain and Lorelei was the only one who could stop it. Pulling her arm back Lorelei held it like a spear. Screaming at Edwin she thrust the baton down on him. Edwin screamed in pain. The baton pierced his heart, and both Sam and Edwin sank to the ground. 

Sam was barely conscious by the time Lorelei was kneeling next to him. "Lore..lei…, thanks again… for saving me…" Lorelei sat next to him, tired, and her head hurt something awful. Slowly her world turned black.

*~*

Lorelei woke in the hospital the next day; Sam was standing beside her bed. She looked up and grinned at him. She was ok and only suffered minor injuries. Sam had cuts and bruises along his face but he was all right. "Sam…how did we get out of that room?"

"Well, we were both passed out, but then Lt Holst woke and made me get up, he carried you out."

         "oh…what happened to Edwin?"

         Sam grimaced, "he's dead. I know you killed him, but the strange thing is, when they went back, they couldn't find a body."

*~*

With in a week Lorelei and Sam were back in school, and hailed as heroes. Colonel Boom had been fired because he had severely beaten a student who had stood up to him. A new director hadn't been found yet but the band managed anyways.

One day while Sam walked Lorelei to her home he asked "Do you ever wonder what happened to Edwin's body?" 

Lorelei looked at Sam for a moment, "No." the answer was quick and definite, "now are you ever going to kiss me?" Sam grinned and bent down his lips met hers, and all was right in the world.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"And that's the story of Edwin Mellophone hands." A large trombone senior grinned down at the little freshmen flutes.

"Yeah right," said the smallest flute, "like that ever happened." A chorus of yeahs came from the flutes. 

No one noticed the bus driver's horribly mangled hands…

The End….

mwuhahahahaha


End file.
